I thought the Doors thread was derailed for so long, it wasn't <flamin> funny. So, I wanted a thread that would stay on topic no matter how random the questions got.

Question 1: I notices models and such for force holocrons. Two of them were Levitation and Telepathy. Is there any use for these at all? Are there hidden Force Powers that nobody knows about?

Question 2: I know you can cause an NPC to be invisible and nonsolid, but I know there is a way to spawn NPC's in the scripts. I know this because the Mapping University has a lesson on spawnscripts. However, there is no link for that lesson yet. Is there truly a way to do that?

Question 1: I notices models and such for force holocrons. Two of them were Levitation and Telepathy. Is there any use for these at all? Are there hidden Force Powers that nobody knows about?

These aren't the same as jump and mind trick?

Quote:

Originally Posted by StaffSaberist

Question 2: I know you can cause an NPC to be invisible and nonsolid, but I know there is a way to spawn NPC's in the scripts. I know this because the Mapping University has a lesson on spawnscripts. However, there is no link for that lesson yet. Is there truly a way to do that?

You can spawn an NPC by targeting its targetname. Whether it's by a trigger event or by use("targetname") script command, doesn't matter. There is no script command, however, for spawning NPCs that haven't been placed in the map in Radiant (like with the console command), though, if that's what you were asking.

Just note that if you spawn an NPC with the use command, don't try to affect it right away in the script, because that won't work. There seems to be some sort of lag between the spawning event and being affectable. That's why I have normally prespawned NPCs for cinematics before the actual cinematic script is launched.

Edit: A spawnscript is a script that an NPC executes immediately when it spawns.

Oh... right. It just looked cool. I mean, if you could levitate like Jerec at the end of JK, that'd be cool. Use that power to make nearby weapons fire at your enemies... cool. Didn't realize the Jump and Seeing (and Mind Trick, hmm) were missing. Telepathy would be a neat power for... well, like the MotS FarSight power.

Quote:

You can spawn an NPC by targeting its targetname. Whether it's by a trigger event or by use("targetname") script command, doesn't matter. There is no script command, however, for spawning NPCs that haven't been placed in the map in Radiant (like with the console command), though, if that's what you were asking.

Just note that if you spawn an NPC with the use command, don't try to affect it right away in the script, because that won't work. There seems to be some sort of lag between the spawning event and being affectable. That's why I have normally prespawned NPCs for cinematics before the actual cinematic script is launched.

Edit: A spawnscript is a script that an NPC executes immediately when it spawns.

In that case, I'll rely on triggers to spawn NPC's. But it was a thought.

I do have another question, actually. It would be a caulking timesaver. In Radiant 1.5, you can select multiple brushes, then click a button to select only the faces of the brushes you want to texture. You can do this one face at a time in 1.4 by clicking Ctrl+Shift+LeftClick, but that's more that a little slow. Is there a way to do that like 1.5?

I haven't used 1.5 and your explanation made it sound like even more complicated than 1.4, anyway... I dunno. You can either select surfaces one by one like you said, or you can paint surfaces by dragging the mouse over them holding the mbutton down... Dunno how much easier methods you would like. I guess having an AI to predict what you would like to do would be even easier, but that's a little bit too much to ask for...

Another issue popped up. I want to create a trim like this one. I can create it rather well with a brush standing upright, but when I make it horizontal via Y-Rotation, the textures smear and look terrible. How did Raven get these textures to sit down horizontally? And how do I do that? =/

One thing about Gtk 1.4 that bugs me is the way it handles fitting rotated textures. It looks like some malevolent spirit decides whether it works or not, because despite countless times of using/trying the function, I still haven't been able to figure what exactly decides if it works or not. Sometimes it just works, sometimes it refuses to work, and the only option seems to be to fit the texture by hand.

You might also want to mess with the textures locks, StaffSaberist, if you feel rotated brushes don't retain their texturing parametres in a sensible way.

I can't get it to fit correctly. It looks - smeared - and won't cooperate. I used this very texture to create a vertical trim, on request of a poster who hated perfectly round pillars. I thought it was a good idea, and obliged him.

You can fit the texture by hand? I'd like to know how to do that. It seems to be the only option. There was another texture that fit texture-wise, but looked ugly since it was brown on black.

Well, whenever I try to rotate it, it ends up smearing or getting tiny. it doesn't look good by anyone's standards - wait. I got it. I think I know why the damn thing wasn't working.

I rotated the thing on the Y-Axis last time. I tried the X-axis. It fit, but was perpendicular to where I wanted it. I rotated it on the Z-Axis, and rotated the texture 90°. It fits, but it is too long. So, I have to refit the textures. Nonetheless, the thing works.

I think that's the problem with the "texture gods". They aren't very Y-rotation friendly, or something.

OK. The brush was a rectagle sticking vertically up in the air. It was when I Y-rotated the brushes to get them horizontal, so they would work as a horizontal trim, that the trouble started. I chose to X-Rotate them instead this time, and it worked - to a point. I still had to rotate the entire brush 90° to get it in line with the staircase trim. I Z-rotated it. That's when the textures needed to be rotated. I thought if I had a texture that was permanently 90° rotated, I wouldn't have to do all this. And I probably don't.

I know, I made a n00b mistake. But every time, the damn thing had smeared textures, and I didn't know why. So I made a vertical trim just to make sure it worked at all at some point. I worked my way from there.

Anyway, that's all for now. I'll let you know if I have another problem.

Yeah, but I have a compact keyboard. The PgUp key is part of my arrow keys, and I have to press a Func button. Then, I start thinking about func, and make my trim into a func_door... it's easier to hit S and click a few buttons.

Personally I think they need to work on the texturing alignment options in GTK... I know sometimes I have trouble with it. And then other times when you rotate a whole brush the texture changes! Among other things.... :-\

And when you try to correct it, it looks stretched out so far you delete the brush in disgust. Sometimes I wanna have more power in Gtk. Like, the ability to create ziggarauts without making a gajillion tiny brushes. But that is a modeling question, I believe.

Eh, I just always use the surface inspector (S key). You can do automatic stuff like fitting a brush face with a texture tiled some number of times, or manually change the origin and rotation angle of the texture. In your case, I'd either just increase the rotation by 90 degrees and then click FIT, and if that didn't work, restore defaults, increase rotation by 90 degrees, and move the texture horizontally/vertically by hand.

I know, I've done that. I encountered a problem about a year ago or something, and it could be just a problem with my PC, but sometimes GTK would flip textures backwards, and/or do other stupid things. :-\ In the end I just put up with it, or make a texture that fits right... or something...

Just thought I'd post in here to see if StaffSaberist has still been doing any mapping lately?

I guess I'm a few years late to getting the editing bug for JO/JA... but I've just recently discovered all the neat stuff you can do with Radiant and its associated tools. Compared to what's available for Battlefront, these tools are a pleasure to work with -- especially in the single-player scripting arena.

I know I've read that many people prefer GTKRadiant over JK2Radiant; but I actually find that JK2Radiant's various inspectors are easier to use. In fact, the only problem I've found so far with JK2Radiant is that it's really hard to see the names of textures. I've only been doing "concept testing" so far though, so maybe I'll change my mind once I have some larger and more detailed maps.

There might be a couple of things in JK2Radiant that were different, maybe even better, than in GTK, but the advantages of GTK greatly outweight those few details. I mapped my first project with JK2Radiant, then switched to GTK, so I know what I'm talking about. Once I got used to GTK, the thought of switching back didn't visit my mind once. A working Undo function alone would be a reason enough, and it's not even the only one, not at all.

Not too long ago, I was forced to, of all things, reformat my computer. Which, of course, means everything is kaput. From the smallest text file to, sadly, my maps. This pisses me off to no end. I'm going to have to start over - but not until my temper has abated, which will take time.

OK, I have attempted to get back to mapping TRV, making sure nothing was compromised, when I came to an awful realization: The biggest obstacle to my success at this point is me. I tried to charge headlong into Radiant/ICARUS without even getting experience and training. Foolish, on my part.

I am not abandoning the project, but it's on hold indefinitely - the end of this project suspension will be when I feel much more comfortable with the inner workings of JA mapping/scripting. I've created a sort of learning room, a cube, that is littered with concepts for me to learn. Starting with the basics. Things are making sense, however, that haven't made sense since I started mapping. ICARUS no longer looks as daunting as it was, and Radiant... well, that's another story. But I'm going to make damn good and sure I'm a good mapper before I make a releaseable map.

Peace.

EDIT: In fact, I do have an issue I need corrected. I've looked over the code, it doesn't make sense why it doesn't work.

WHAT I WANT: I want the Reborn with the targetnames a1, a2, b1, b2, c1, and c2 to move to a navgoal with a corresponding targetname (a1_dest, etc.). The camera pans to the appropriate locations, fades to black for an outrageously long 5000 milliseconds for testing purposes, then returns to the game. During this script, player has notarget and godmode active since the player will be under heavy blaster fire.

WHAT HAPPENS: Camera shows exact spot for one second immediately pans to some other place, then camera fades to black and stays. Game returns, I'm still invincible - but I can't see a darn thing!